Turpentine
by OQuinn53
Summary: AU Malec. Alec Lightwood is an emerging artist with a job on the side as an art consultant. Magnus Bane is a con artist who is at a lost when his good friend, and trained replica artist, Ragnor Fell is killed in front of him. He wants to find his friend's killer, but first he needs to find a new artist, and the hottie with blue eyes is looking like a pretty good candidate.
1. prologue

Turpintine

**A/N: Hello, all! So I haven't written fanfiction in a long time, but after obsessing over Magnus and Alec, and reading tons of fanfiction about them, an idea formed and I just couldn't help but write it and see what y'all think!**

**Warnings: This IS Malec, meaning boyxboy. At this point, I'm not sure how far it will go but I do know there will at LEAST be hints at them having been together, much like the lovely Classandra Clare does. I have a plot in my head, but I'm still working out kinks, but there will be character death (like in this prologue), possible typos I missed, and glitter because… Magus always needs a warning. ;) Fluff will come as well, but I don't think that actually needs to be in the long warnings section…**

**Disclaimer: Did it count when I mentioned her in the warning? Because, as much as I want to claim them, Alec and Magnus are not mine. Or any of the characters in this story.**

**Please let me know what you think! I love honest feedback and know that it starts VERY fast paced (and the prologue is short) but will slow down considerably starting with the first chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

Prologue

There were gunshots, but Magnus ignored them as he ran, his feet barely touching the ground as he make a turn. Down what road, he had no clue, but there was no way he was going to stop now. His usual spiked hair was clinging to his forehead and he quickly wipe his brow with his wrist before sweat got into his eyes.

He kept running, and running until he felt safe—well. Saf_er_. He collapsed against the side of a building, leaning against it as he tried to catch his breath.

That had been close. Years of work had almost gone up in flames, and he could very well have been killed, but neither had happened. That didn't mean he didn't lose anything.

"Dammit," he hissed out as he hit the side of the wall with his fist. He let his arm fall limp to his side, clutching his eyes closed as he tried to ignore the images flashing in his mind.

Blood.

There had been blood.

He knew his business was risky, and he had seen blood plenty of times—but never someone so close, both in relations and proximity. The shot had been taken as they were meeting at one of the local parks. He wondered if the shot was meant for him instead of his partner, and close friend, Ragnor Fell.

He didn't know who the shooter was, but he did know the police were there in what seemed like seconds, which meant he had to get out of there and _fast_, and he had to leave his friend there if he hoped to accomplish that.

He didn't know if it had been the police or the shooter—or both, if they were the same—that chased him, but whoever it was had clearly lost his track now. He slid down the wall, tearing off his mask and sunglasses, revealing his caramel-colored skin as he began to regain his usual mask of calm composure, thankful that he had worn a disguise (also known as modest clothing, the exact opposite of his normal attire with radiant colors and sparkles from not only the clothes but his make-up as well) to the meeting.

But now his friend was dead and they had probably at least caught a glimpse of him.

Being an art con definitely paid the bills. He could buy an island if he wanted to, but it was times like this he wished he could just stop all of it.

But he couldn't. Not now. Even with his artist gone, he had to move on. He had to get up. He did just that. He groaned as he stood on his protesting legs before he slipped off his suit jacket, revealing a tightly fit purple V-neck shirt underneath, before dropping it into a trash can along with the black mask and sunglasses as he walked back towards the more populated roads. His golden-green eyes flashed with unshed tears as he held back his emotions for his lost friend, who he had abandoned. His pupils were slits, like a cat's, and outline in black eyeliner. They were trained on the on the ground, then the sidewalk as he reached it. He pulled out a pair of orange-tinted glasses as he looked up, joining the flow of the New York crowds as if nothing had ever happened.

Now the next step: finding a new artist.

* * *

The canvas was not cooperating.

Alec Lightwood let out an exasperated sigh as he dropping his brush in a cup on turpentine, ruffling his already messy ink-black hair. He leaned back in his stool as he glared at the infernal blankness that was in front of him. Try as he might, he could not find the picture within the canvas, which was very troubling when he was trying to survive as a freelance artist. So far, it hadn't worked out well.

Sure, he sold paintings, but it was never anything of interest to him-a copy of a photo, a portrait. One lady even paid him to paint her shoes. Why he wanted her to paint her shoes, he didn't know, but when he got paid two-hundred dollars per shoe, he wasn't going to say anything. No, it wasn't what other professionals could make, but his wallet loved it. Too bad that didn't happen often enough to pay his rent.

He jumped as a loud buzzing came from beside him. He rarely used his phone except to check the time or as an alarm sometimes when he was painting so he wouldn't lose track of time. He became way too drawn into his work at times that it didn't even seem like time mattered anymore. Unfortunately, the world thought differently.

It wasn't his alarm this time, though. He grabbed the device quickly before answering. "Hello?"

"Alexander," Robert Lightwood said, his voice strained with stress and lack of sleep. "We have something for you to look at concerning Ragnor Fell. Could you come in?"

This wasn't actually a surprising request but the name always caught Alec's attention. Ragnor Fell was a known con artist who copied famous works and then had them sold as if they were the original. He had a partner, someone who had all the connections, but no one had found out who it was. But Alec made sure to keep up to date with Ragnor because, in a way, the man was his idol. He was able to paint master pieces, copying even the same brushstrokes as the original artist must have. Alec had always wanted to ask him if _he_ had been able to create original pieces—but it was a bit hard to do that when he was a criminal, and your parents wanted his guts on a platter.

The Lightwoods were in charge of a special section of the FBI, one dedicated to catching con men at work. Alec remembered what his father had called them: Downworlders: people who could never truly live among the rest of them, constantly hiding who they were and what they did. Personally, Alec found the idea of that life saddening, but whenever his dad called him in, he would never refuse. He would drop everything and go.

"Sure thing," he said quickly in response, hanging up without saying goodbye. In his family, you never said goodbye. It was a rule made because, when working with the FBI, you never knew if they were coming home that night. It was their duty to accept this. So, they pretending there was no way that they wouldn't come back. Goodbyes meant they might not.

Alec stood up, leaving the dry canvas and wet paint behind. He knew nothing was going to come out of it anyway. He grabbed his keys off the counter, checked himself to make sure there wasn't any paint on him (and ignored the holes in his gray sweater that showed his pale skin) before heading out of the door.

Being an art consultant wasn't what he wanted to do for a living, but it sure did pay the bills.

**A/N: So that is the beginning of my first fanfiction in almost seven years. Shortish, but I didn't want any more in the actual Prologue. Tell me what** **you think! Should I continue?**

**Much love for those who read!**

**~Annie**


	2. Chapter

**A/N: I wonder if there's anything more embarrassing than realizing you spelled the name of your story wrong right after posting. Gah. It's fixed, but still. Thank you all for reading the prologue, and especially PlanetOfLove and the guest for reviewing! I'm actually very wary about writing more. I admit it, I'm very self-conscious but I always try to forge ahead. I hope you enjoy this, where Magnus and Alec meet! :3**

**Warnings: None really for this chapter. There might be cussing, but that's about it, if even that. Oh, and errors. I only read over it once, so forgive me and feel free to let me know if you catch any mistakes!**

**Disclaimer: All terms, characters, etc that are brought in from TMI or TID are Cassandra Clare's. I'm just manipulating them.**

Chapter One

_Bacchus and Ariande_.

The story was one Alec knew well. Bacchus, the god of wine and ecstasy, burst through the trees with such energy. Ariande, left on the island, surprised, scared, and a hint of curiosity as Bacchus goes after her. Having been a double major in studio art and art management, he had to take several art history courses and had even snuck in a mythology course after realizing how much it influenced art centuries ago, let alone now. As it was, the painting in front of him was from the fifteen hundreds, painting with oil by the famous Titian.

That is, it _looked_ like it was done by Titian in the fifteen hundreds, but Alec wasn't called by his father to just admire artist's original works. His dark blue eyes roamed over the work with his critical gaze, yet it also held a large amount of appreciation. He stopped suddenly as his eyes reached one of the cheetahs. He straightened, his eyes still lingering over the precise colors and emotions displayed. He had a bit of jealousy, wishing he would be able to paint something original—then again, this particular piece wasn't original.

"It's amazing," he finally announced, looking up to Robert Lightwood, his father's sharp eyes locked on him. Alec resisted looking away, always feeling as if his father was judging him. Luckily one hurtle had been crossed when he had been able to prove that, yes, being an Arts major was actually very useful. He focused back on the painting anyway, finding comfort in the piece. He held up a picture of the original piece, even if he didn't necessarily need it. "The painting strokes are identical. It's aged and placed on the conservation board, just like the original piece was on the nineteen hundreds.

"Stop drooling over the piece, Alec. You'll stain the floor and _I_ won't clean it up."

Alec could hear the smirk in the tone before he could see it, glancing away to see a man, no more than a year younger than him, standing in the door to the conference room them were currently occupying. He was all gold with his striking blonde hair, his light eyes that shown with humor, and his tanned skin. Jace Lightwood walked up to them, leaning back against the long table with all the gracefulness of a cat. Although they shared the same last name, they were not actually related. Jace had been adopted when he was very young and had been more than just a guest from the very beginning.

Alec didn't exactly like thinking of Jace as his brother. It would make the feelings that surfaced in him every once in a while very awkward, not to mention it was already awkward that Jace didn't know he was gay. He pushed those thoughts away as he smiled back at his best friend.

"Hey, Jace," he said casually. Unlike himself, Jace had decided to follow Robert's career path as an FBI agent. He was young, new into the field, but he already was gaining some fame from his natural talent. He was their muscle, and their charm if they ever had to go undercover, which made the fact he was there a mystery. "Why are you here?"

The younger man shrugged—Alec bouncing his eyes so he didn't look to see what the small action did to his muscles—before Jace nodded towards Robert. "Ask him."

Chancing a glance at his father, he wasn't surprised to see Robert shake his head. "First tell us if the painting's real."

"It's Ragnor's," Alec said confidently. He was impressed, yet again, by the man's work. He had been able to do everything right, including putting in the raw emotions an artist must had to get such quality. There was just one small detail that Alec had grown to spot easily. He moved aside so Robert could have access to the painting. "Look at the cheetah on the right," he said, painting delicately at the animal. "You might need a magnifying glass."

Robert picked up the magnifying glass on the table, supposedly left for Alec's use, though he never needed it. The man approached the painting and held the object up to where Alec's finger was, leaning over to get a close look. Alec pulled away so his father could have a better view. "RF," Robert said after a moment, standing and placing the magnifying glass on the table. He gave an appreciative nod to his son, and Alec felt his heart pick up at the pride he saw in his dad's eyes. Alec was thankful that his mind was so similar to Ragnor's—no artist would leave a piece unsigned, and Alec had found his signature. "Well done," he said before looking towards Jace. "We can confirm this piece as fake, now we just need to find the original."

"Which means finding his partner," Jace said, his face hardening, as it always did when he talked about a serious case. "Though I think we have something else to worry about."

Interest peaked, Alec looked at his friend. "What happened?"

"Ragnor Fell was killed today," Robert said factually, his words crisp and straight-forward with no emotions.

Alec's eyes widened as he looked between his father and Jace. "What do you mean killed? I thought you were just trying to arrest him!" He immediately regretted his words at the sharp glare he received from Robert. His admiration for the artist was not unknown, but it wasn't looked highly upon, either. That's usually what happens when your idol is a criminal.

"We were," Robert snapped. "We had figured out when he was meeting up and had set up a stake out. We don't know who it came from yet, but there was a gun shot fired right when we were about to arrest them in Hudson River Park," he explained as if he was annoyed that he had to explain something to a child. It did, however, explain why Jace was there. He had been at the stake out. "I appreciate your help, Alec, but the rest of the case is confidential. We'll let you know if we need any more of your assistance."

Knowing when he was being dismissed, Alec grabbed his bag of supplies (not that he had to use them much) as he exited. Jace threw him a guilty look, but he shrugged it off. He was used to the confidentiality, and his treatment came with being the son of the head agent. "See you around, Jace," he said, giving his friend a reassuring smile.

The golden boy sported a grin that showed his perfectly white teeth. "Don't miss me too much. I know how hard it is to leave my presence."

Alec rolled his eyes, not bothering to spare his father a glance as he exited the room.

* * *

The buzzer sounded, making Magnus groan and rolled over in his bed, throwing his arm over his eyes. Maybe, just maybe, whoever it was would go away if he just ignored. But he knew better, mainly because he knew exactly who would be at his front door.

Grudgingly, the con man slipped out from under his canary yellow comforter, grabbing a random pair of pants on the floor before he slipped them on. He slept in the nude, but he didn't mind going commando, especially if he was just checking the door. The buzzer sounded again and he grumbled under his breath as he pressed the button that unlocked the door to the complex. He opened his door and leaned against the frame, not caring that he was shirtless and his pants barely left anything to the imagination.

"Camille," he said with a warning tone, narrowing his eyes as the woman approached his door.

Camille Belcourt was gorgeous, by far one of the most attractive Magnus had seen with her blonde curls and perfect curves that she showed off so well in her red, fitted dress. She also was so manipulative that she could have anyone wrapped around her pinky finger. That had included Magnus for a while, but not anymore.

"Magnus, darling. I hear about Ragnor and wanted to see if you were okay," she said, a small bit of an accent leaking into her voice.

"I appreciate the thought, but I'd rather take the day to mourn him alone, if you wouldn't mind," Magnus said bitterly. "Not to mention focus on finding a new artist."

"No you don't," Camille said slyly, approaching Magnus as she slowly placed the tips of her fingers on his caramel skin, tracing them down his bare chest. "You know I'm always around."

Magnus grabbed her hand quickly, pushing it back towards her. "No, Camille," he said sadly, his eyes flashing with pain as he looked at her. "I trusted you at one point in time. I loved you. I can't go through that again. Please… Camille," he said, speaking her name softly. "I need to move on."

Green eyes narrowed at him as they hardened. "Very well," she said finally, giving him a small nod. "If you decide to change your mind, you know where to find me."

"I'll avoid it as best I can," Magnus said, all previous tenderness gone as he watched the woman turn around and leave. He closed the door quickly, threading his fingers through his hair before messing it up. He let out a small whimper, knowing he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep and pretend that meeting never happened. So he went back to his room, deciding he needed to get out, and now.

* * *

He shouldn't have wandered here. It was dangerous, even if no one would be able to recognize him. As the rule went, don't return to the scene of the crime. It was the fastest way to get caught. Yet Magnus couldn't help it. After seeing Camille he felt the only way to feel clean again is to come here.

The sidewalk was clean. He didn't exactly know what it had looked like before, seeing how he had never looked back, but he had imaged finding at least a stain where blood had pooled. Yet there was nothing there, nothing at all to indicate his friend's death that had happened the day before.

Magnus took heavy steps as he walked by the sight, making sure not to stand in one place too long. Not that it mattered. He was wearing his normal type of attire. He was wearing pale blue pants that were so tight he had to keep his phone in his jacket, which was white over his salmon, form fitting shirt. His hair was put up in what seemed like thousands of spikes, his eyes lined with black, his contacts in place. This was toned down for him, seeing how no glitter was involved, but he felt that was appropriate in honor of his friend.

He couldn't mope around. He had to move forward. That's what Ragnor would have wanted, not for him to mope around, or to even accept Camille's offer.

Just as he was deciding to leave, he looked up and saw a man walking towards him with his attention absorbed into a piece of paper. Magnus had just enough time to put his hands out, catching him by his shoulders.

"Watch where your walking, Sir," Magnus said, though more in a teasing manor than serious. He man quickly looked up from his picture in shock.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry," the man said, his creamy cheeks tinting a soft shade of pink as he took a step back, steadying himself. Magnus used this opportunity to slide his hands down the man's arms as he let go, feeling the muscle hidden underneath the sweater the man was wearing. He looked up, and green eyes met the deepest blue eyes Magnus had ever seen. The man's face was apologetic, his black hair long enough to cover his eyes, which Magnus just couldn't have. Without even realizing what he was doing, Magnus lifted a hand and brushed the man's bangs to the side with his long fingers, showing more of the blue orbs as his eyes widened, the pink of his cheeks turning even darker.

Magnus smirked. "Oh, don't worry, Darling," he purred. "It's not every day you almost get run into by someone as gorgeous as yourself." He imaged that if the man's face got any redder he would be able to win an award. He pulled his hand away, finding it odd how much he already missed the touch. He was pleased, however, to see the blue eyes trace over his body.

The man stuttered, no coherent words forming at first, which just amused Magnus further. He was obviously shy, and most obviously gay, if his reaction was any indication. "Sorry," the man apologized again, looking down quickly, as if to hide his face. "I was just… just looking for a certain spot. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I-I'll get out of your way now." The man moved to go around Magnus, but Magnus quickly grabbed his arm, earning a surprised look from the other.

"Where are you looking for? I know this place like the back of my hand" Magnus said, his curiosity peaked, though why he didn't know.

"Oh, um," the man said, his blue eyes shifting nervously. "Just—you wouldn't want to—I mean, it's just where someone I…"

"Someone you…?" Magnus prompted, finding the man's nervousness simply adorable.

"My idol," he said quickly. "I mean, that's what others called him. I looked up to him. He… he died here yesterday."

Magnus's eyes widened, his lips parting slightly. The man was talking about Ragnor. There was no one else it could have been, but he had to be sure… "Ragnor Fell?"

Blue eyes lit up in recognition. "You know him?"

"Who's asking?" Magnus said wearily, not wanting to say anything if this man was a reporter, though he certainly didn't look or act like one. He just didn't want anyone of importance being able to connect him to his deceased partner.

"Alec," the man said. "Alec Lightwood. You know about Ragnor Fell?"

Debating exactly how to answer the man—Alec—Magnus shrugged. "It's all over the news already. I appreciated his artwork." More than just appreciated it. He made a living from it, but he wasn't going to tell a stranger that.

"I did, too!" Alec said suddenly, startling Magnus with his enthusiasm before it disappeared, the blush back full force. "I-I mean, I admired him. His talent. I'm a starting artist, and he is—was so… what?"

Magnus's eyes were large as he looked at Alec, ignoring his question. Looking closer, he could tell he was younger than he first thought. He was tall, almost as tall as Magnus himself, but his face was so… innocent, as if he hadn't bared the reality of the world yet.

And he was an artist. Magnus couldn't be this lucky, could he?

No. Alec was inexperienced—young. He might be good, but that didn't mean he was good enough for Magnus's needs. Still…

"An artist? Can I see some of your work?" Magnus asked, putting on his most charming smile. If he was any good, or even just trying to get out there, he must have some type of way to show his work.

Alec scrunched his eyebrows before he nodded slowly, pulling his phone out of his baggy jeans. Jean, Magnus noted that did not show off his body nearly enough. Nor did his gray sweater that hung loosely on his frame, yet he could tell by what he had felt of Alec's arms that he was not, at all, out of shape. Before he let his mind drift to what, exactly, was underneath those clothes, a phone was placed in his vision. "I'm not very good at original pieces," Alec admitted humbly. "I mostly copy other's work, or paint what I see. That's my portfolio."

Magnus's eyebrows shot into his hairline as he pulled the phone away from the raven-haired boy and looked closely at the photo, zooming in as much as the device would allow. They were incredible, especially for someone just starting out. He wasn't quite at Ragnor's level… but he was pretty darn close. He flipped through some of the other photos, finding with each one that if he didn't have such a trained eye he wouldn't be able to tell each painting from the original. He tapped a few more times on the phone before looking up. "These are amazing," he finally said, trying not to sound too impressed as he handed the phone back, feeling his own phone vibrate, but ignored it. He didn't want Alec to be too cocky and charge more than necessary, but from the looks of it, that wouldn't be a problem.

"No, they're just copies," Alec mumbled, his bangs falling back over his eyes as he shook his head, and Magnus resisted brushing them aside again.

"Ragnor did copies," Magnus said, putting a firm hand on Alec's shoulder, making the boy snap his attention back to his face. "He might have been a criminal, but he was an artist first and foremost. His work…" Magnus swallowed hard, trying to not let his emotions show. "He let others have copies—not prints—of art work so many would die to have. He brought many people happiness with his talent, and it is a talent, you just have to find the right buyers."

Shock filled the blue orbs as they stared before they blinked a few times and looked away quickly. Alec pocketed his phone and dug his hands in his pockets, looking sheepish. "I'm not _that_ good. I can't seem to get any buyers, except this lady who has me paint her shoes."

Shoes? Well, that was interesting. It would certain fit Magnus's apartment, but that wasn't his focus now.

"But you do," Magnus said, a Cheshire grin spreading on his glossed lips. "Right here." Seeing the confused look, he decided to elaborate. "Alec Lightwood, I'd like to commission you personally to copy a piece of art for me."

Alec's jaw dropped. Not much, but just enough to show his disbelieving shock. "You—wait. Commission _me?_ You can commission _me?_ Just to _copy_ something?"

Magnus raised a delicate eyebrow as he pulled out a checkbook, seemingly from nowhere. He wrote out a check before showing it to the man. "Would this be enough?"

Right when he saw the number, Alec snapped his teeth together and straightened his back, holding out his hand. "I'll do my very best, Mister…?"

"Bane," Magnus said, taking Alec's hand with a small chuckle. "Though please just call me Magnus."

Their hands stopped shaking, Magnus looking up to see realization dawn on Alec's face. "_The_ Magnus Bane? The richest man in all of New York? Known for buying out businesses and reselling them after they double their profits? _That_ Magnus Bane?"

"That would be me," Magnus said, giving a wink, earning the desired effect as Alec blushed.

After a stuttering breath, Alec pulled his hand away. "Well," he said nervously. "I will do my very best, then, Mr. Bane."

"Magnus."

"Magnus," Alec corrected himself, swallowing. "I will do my very best, Magnus."

"I would hope so," Magnus said as he leaned in, so their noses were almost touching. "How about we meet at Starbucks tomorrow morning, say around nine? I don't much like anything earlier, but I would like to talk about the piece you'll be doing."

Alec flushed, and Magnus guessed he had forgotten about that small detail. He chuckled, pulling away enough so the poor boy had enough comfort room to speak. "Right! Yes, of course. I'll be there," Alec spilled the words out, cursing under his breath at his unprofessionalism. "How should I contact you…?"

Magnus smiled and patted Alec's cheek twice. "Look in your phone, dear. I sent myself a text so I had your number."

"Wha—I—"

"When I was looking at your work," Magnus explained, answering Alec's unasked question as he folded the check and slipped in into the same pocket as Alec had put his phone.

"R-right," Alec stuttered before biting his lip and taking one step back, away from Magnus's hands. "Then tomorrow. I should—go. I have to… yes, see you tomorrow."

Magnus made the smile he always did when sealing a deal, making sure to meet Alec's addictive eyes directly with his own before he spoke, clearly and sensually. "It's a date."

He didn't look to see the reaction of the gorgeous man, instead turning around and putting his hands in his back pockets as he walked away.

Funny thing, he did know if he was more excited he could have found a new artist, or that he had a date with him, his morning now completely forgotten.

* * *

Alec watched the man—_Magnus Bane—_walk away in all of his glory, looking like a fashion model, sex god, and as important as the president as he did. It was only when the man was out of his sight did he walk (or rather, stumbled) to the closest bench as he knees decided they wanted to turn into mush. He took a few deep breaths to calm his rapidly beating heart, never having this type of reaction before. In all fairness, it was a bit overwhelming. Almost running over the richest guy in all of New York, known for his smarts in the business world, who could have _easily_ sued Alec for getting dirt on his jacket, who was now _commissioning_ him with more zeros than Alec's brain could comprehend, then to have the same guy say their meeting tomorrow was a _date_?

"Angels above," Alec let out in an exhausted breath. Magnus had been flirting with him, though he was known for that as well, so had he meant it as a meeting sort of date, or… a date-date? Alec didn't know, but his mind never wondered to the check in his pocket as he knees finally solidified and he was able to walk back to his apartment.

No, he was more shocked that he was nervous that it _wasn't_ going to be a date-date, because he found himself really wanting it to be.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! And, as a random note, today's my birthday! I am actually officially twenty-one, believe it or not. Yeah, totally partying-it-up. But reviews would be the BEST presents in the whole wide world! Thank you for reading!**

**~Annie**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: I love y'all. I just. Y'all make me so happy, I'm just saying. Especially those that commented on my writing style, you have no idea how much those comments make my day. **

**My friends took me out drinking on my birthday. I only say this because it is definitely the reason it took me so long to write this thing. But I have a date on Saturday, and if only y'all knew how rare genuine dates are for me! So I've been a bit distracted… however! I want to try updating this once a week, even though I've already broken that… I will try for the future! Now… onto the Malec 'date'!**

**Disclaimer: I tried to steal Alec away, but Magnus turned me into a fish until I agreed to give him back to Cassandra Clare.**

Chapter 2

Coffee was one of Alec's favorite things. He liked it black, and overall appreciated the strong taste and aroma that came with it. It had been the fuel for many of his art pieces, and for that he was forever indebted to the drink. At that particular moment, it was serving a much greater purpose that it ever had before. Keeping the warm cup firmly to his lips, the drink served as a great distraction from the man across from him, and also as an excuse not to talk. He had always been good with words, knowing exactly how to say what need to be said in few words, but with this he was completely clueless. He was already on his second cup and was about to go get a third, not caring that he was starting to feel jittery.

"You know," Magnus said suddenly, a sly smirk spreading across his gorgeous, tanned face, his golden green eyes flashing mischievously. "As much as I love to look at the Starbucks logo, your face is much cuter."

Blubbering incoherently, Alec put his cup down much too forcefully, thankful that there was a top on it but wishing more than ever the cup could have hid the blush that spread across his cheeks. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Magnus was dressed a lot differently than he had been the day before, which was probably the main reason for Alec's inability to come up with anything even relatively intelligent to say. He hadn't even been able to get out a greeting, choosing to focus completely on his coffee for no other reason than to keep him from staring and saying something embarrassing. Magnus had to expect that type of reaction when he was wearing skin tight, yellow pants with a light blue shirt that hung so lowly on his frame that his smooth, caramel chest was exposed. He had an open vest over it to complete the designer look, but that wasn't what caught Alec's attention.

It was the glitter.

There wasn't an extreme amount, per se, but it was laced through his spiked, blue streaked hair and around his eyes, which were lined with black and coated with silver eye shadow. Alec had to admit, he liked it, if his reaction was any indication. He felt like a homeless man across from Magnus, even if he picked his best clothes (black jeans and a black sweater) for this meeting—date—meeting—thing. He had never had anyone he wanted to impress before now, so he didn't really own anything appropriate.

The slitted eyes were also a huge distraction, and Alec couldn't help but wonder why the man wore contacts like that—or was it his real eyes? A trick of the light? Alec's fantasies taking over? He bit his lip to make sure it was real, and blushed when he saw Magnus's eyes flicker to his lips. Or was _that_ his imagination, too?

"Painting," he said suddenly, wanting to—no, _needing_ to—break the silence. "I mean, what painting will I do doing for you?"

Now Magnus, on his end, was having a mental battle with himself. See, the first meeting was when he usually broke any misconceptions of what the job required. Meaning he revealed who he was, what he was doing, and frankly what would happen to the artist if he refused, which was never really a problem when the topic of money was brought up. People were, overall, very greedy. It was how he had this job in the first place. This time was different, though. As he stared into the shy, rich blue eyes of the man across from him, he realized Alec Lightwood was not so greedy.

That, and he was the son of Robert and Maryse Lightwood, the head investigators who had been trying to catch him and Ragnor for years—and who were possibly Ragnor's killer. When Magnus did his background check, he was able to see that Alec was a consultant for the FBI, and had worked on many cases which Magnus and Ragnor had played a part in. That made this a very risky situation, but on the other hand it meant Alec knew what he wasn't doing. He was smart and talented, maybe even more so than Ragnor was. But how much was Magnus willing to risk for a chance to own that talent when he didn't have greed to feed?

When Alec asked what painting he'd be doing, and he had the more adorable flush still left on his face, Magnus knew he would never be able to leave him alone. He'd just have to do things differently this time. It didn't help he kept getting distracted whenever Alec bit his kissable lip, or every time he was able to see those addicting blue eyes completely.

"_The Abduction of Ganymede_," he said smoothly, knowing the best ways to hide his own distraction. Pride swelled in him as he saw Alec's eyes flash with recognition. "You know it?"

The flush was back, and Magnus wondered if Alec had caught onto the implications that came with the painting. "There are a lot of versions," Alec said as he took a breath through his nose. It seemed to calm him and he became more focused and serious. "Which one are we talking about?"

"Eustache Le Sueur," Magnus said, pronouncing it perfectly, accent included.

"1650, oil on canvas. Baroque styling, right?" Alec said, his coffee now forgotten.

Magnus nodded, not being able to resist smiling. "Correct. You seem to know your stuff."

Alec shrugged, trying to brush off the compliment. He had never been good at accepting them. "I have a good memory and studied art history in college."

"Oh?" Magnus said. "Then you know Ganymede's mythology?" he purred, feeling smug as Alec's cheeks turned red again. He loved it against his creamy, smooth complexion.

Alec knew Ganymede's story well. Zeus was attracted to Ganymede, the fairest boy on Earth. The thunder god kidnapped Ganymede as an Eagle, where he then made the boy one of his lovers. Neither were looked down upon for this, not that you could ever question Zeus, but Helen had always punished Zeus by doing terrible things to his past lovers and victims. That is, except Ganymede. In fact, Ganymede was _blessed_ by Zeus as a water bearer in Olympus, in some mythologies.

That story had helped Alec accept his sexuality. He had always thought something was wrong with him. He had believed it was in his head and he just had to force his mind to switch to liking females, but it never happened. After finding out about Ganymede, a story told centuries ago, Alec felt no choice but to believe his feelings were real. He hadn't exactly come out then, but he didn't deny it either. Luckily, his parents and Jace had yet to find out, and he was perfectly okay with that.

"Ganymede was the water-bearer. He's associated with Aquarius of the zodiac and was… Zeus's," Alec said simply, not wanting to go into much more detail, especially not in front of the Magnus Bane, who he admitted to being very attracted to.

Magnus laughed, his eyes sparkling with amusement before he took a sip of his own coffee. "What a way to phrase it. Ganymede did, indeed, belong to Zeus. Good," he said, reaching into a file he brought. He paused, glancing at the contract he usually made his employees sign. Decidedly ignoring it, he brought out a picture of the pre-mentioned painting. "I know where you can look at the real thing if you feel that necessary, but here's a picture of it. I will also send you a file so you can zoom in," he said, glancing up at Alec to judge his reaction.

"How… accurate do you want this?" Alec asked, squinting at the photo before looking up.

"I don't want there to be any apparent differences in the paintings," Magnus said clearly. "That includes aging it. I want it to look authentic. You see, I am very particular about my paintings."

Alec nodded as he bit his lip, and again Magnus's eyes drifted to his lips. "Okay," he said. "I'll have to see the original to check how it's aged, what specific type of canvas it's on, and to make sure I get every stroke exactly the same."

That moment, even more than before, was when Magnus decided he needed Alec to work with him. He had never seen such determination and dedication than he did in those blue eyes. There was slight wariness, a type of self-consciousness that made him stand out against everyone Magnus had ever worked with before. He was so… so…

Innocent.

Magnus waved his hand at the paper. "Put that away now. I'll take you to the real thing later. Now, I was to hear about _you_."

There it was again, that wonderful color in his pale cheeks that Magnus had already grown attached to.

This was bad. Very bad.

* * *

"You had a _date?_"

"Izzy, please, _quiet_!" Alec protested, resisting covering her mouth just to shut her up. He was already embarrassed enough, but he didn't want the whole world to know he went on a date with Magnus Bane.

Well, that wasn't necessarily true, but he wasn't quite ready for that yet.

Isabelle was the type of sister who knew _everything_ just by a glance. Hints why she, one, knew Alec was gay even before he did and, two, knew he had been on a date before he even mentioned it. He swore she was psychic or something. She was leaning against the counter, her arms holding her up as she narrowed her eyes at her brother. She was clad in what could be considered a dress, though Alec made a point to always 'remind' her to put on pants before she left the house. She never did.

"No one's here. They're all at work," Isabelle said sternly as she pulling herself up on the counter, before turning to face Alec, her long, black hair falling over her shoulders. She was beautiful, yet had a dangerous edge to her looks. She was an actress, playing mostly action roles, but she was currently between films and was able to visit home. Alec had always been proud of the success of his little sister. She had worked hard to get such strong female roles. He just wished she could be as proud of him, but he never let that get to him. He was doing what he loved, even if he wasn't so successful yet. His thoughts stopped when she gave him a piercing look. "Talk. Who was it with?"

Alec sighed in defeat, but turned to start making lunch to avoid eye contact. "Magnus Bane."

There was silence. It was long enough that Alec looked back at his sister in concern.

"Magnus Bane," she repeated simply, her blue eyes where wide. "As in _the_ Magnus Bane?"

Alec nodded shyly. "The Magnus Bane," he confirmed.

"The most fashionable and successful man alive?" Isabelle asked. "Who should have won Sexiest Man Alive every year?"

Turning back to the stove to hide his blush, Alec nodded. "Yes, that one," he said as he started to boil water. Their parents were hardly home, Isabelle was an awful cook, and Jace simply refused to, which always left Alec cooking. He wondered how they survived whenever he wasn't visiting, but he was glad he could have something to focus on instead of said sexy man.

"Alec! Why are you not bubbling with joy and prancing around the house?" Isabelle said as she jumped off the counter, standing beside her brother as he starting opening a can of tomato sauce.

"Because I have no clue if it counts," he said lowly as he cranked the can opener. "We just had coffee. We were meeting because he's hiring me to do a painting for him."

"Did you just talk about the painting?" Isabelle inquired.

"No," Alec mumbled. "We chatted after the business part, but you know he's a natural flirt. I don't want to read into it."

Isabelle gave him a pointed look. "What did you talk about?"

Alec shrugged. "He asked about me. I'm pretty boring, so it was just about the basics. What I focused on in college, some about mythology, but that went back to business."

"What painting are you doing?"

Not knowing why this was relevant at all, Alec scrunched his eyebrows. "_The Abduction of Ganymede_ by Eustache Le Sueur. He wants me to copy it."

Rolling her eyes, Isabelle said "It was definitely a date."

Alec knocked over the can, catching it quickly as he sputtered, thankful nothing had spilled. He put down everything to look at his sister incredulously. "_How_ do you know?"

She raised a perfect eyebrow. "Really? Ganymede? Think about it. He's Magnus Bane. Close enough to Zeus, being the god he is. So if he's Zeus, you're Ganymede. Connect the dots. He likes you. Or, at least, he wants you in his bed."

Alec's jaw was unhinged as he stared at his sister. He could remember when she was still so young, and so innocent, yet now she spilled the most embarrassing words out like it was nothing. In a way, he envied her for it. He always ended up spluttering nonsense. "You're serious? You really think so?"

Isabelle shrugged. "If you don't believe me, ask him. You're blunt enough." Then she peered at him for a moment. "Though you haven't had to deal with a man before…"

"Izzy!"

"What?" she asked. "It's the truth. I've never seen you with anyone before."

It _was_ true. Although he was confident in his sexuality now, he had never once gone on a date before Magnus. It was a bit difficult to when you've always had a crush on your adopted, very much straight, brother. Alec groaned. "We'll see. For now, he's my employer."

"Sexy."

"Izzy!" Alec protested, covering his cheeks with a hand. He groaned and decided to try and focus back on the food, glad the water was boiling so he could start putting the noodles in.

Isabelle loomed over his shoulder. "So when are you seeing him again?"

"Who says I am?" Alec retorted.

"He's your employer," Isabelle reminded him. "So when?"

Alec sighed, yet again, in defeat. There was nothing Isabelle couldn't get out of him when she was like this. "Tomorrow night. He's showing me the original painting. Apparently it's here for a special event and he has access to it before the gallery opens in a few weeks."

"That is so a date," his sister said, and he decided to ignore the comment, mainly for his sanity. He poked at the noodles with a wooden spoon before switching to pour the sauce in another pot. "Come on, Alec! You're no fun! Don't you want it to be a date?"

"Yes," he answered much faster than he meant to. "I want it to be a date."

"Then make it one yourself," Isabelle said as if it was the most obvious answer. She patted him on the back. "You'll get laid in no time if you do."

Alec groaned as he covered his face with both hands. "Izzy! Stop it!"

"It's my job to embarrass you," she said proudly. "Now, I have to run a few errands, but I'll be back before you're finished cooking."

Alec dropped his hands and his eyes roamed over her as she turned to leave. "Don't forget pants," he said.

Isabelle looked back at him with a wink before exiting the kitchen.

Alec had a bigger issue than Isabelle's state of dress, though. How the hell was he going to make a meeting a date when he'd never been on one before? He yelped and pulled his hand back as boiling water splashed out of the pot. He glared at it, not caring it was inanimate, but wishing for once he could just be given the answers he needed.

* * *

The next night came way too fast. Isabelle's errands ended up being clothes for Alec, which he grudgingly accepted. He had felt out of place in his own clothes before, and was actually grateful to his fashionable sister for getting him something simple, but still nicer than anything he had in his closet. The blue, button-down shirt and black pants were close enough to his usual style that he didn't feel weird wearing them, not to mention how much better he felt that he was dressed more appropriately for business or a date. Now, he was standing in front of the gallery, an hour early.

No, he wasn't eager at all.

He was just starting to try and figure out how to kill time before a familiar voice rang right behind him.

"Hey, gorgeous."

Alec turned around so quickly, he almost lost his footing. He almost lost it again as he took a quick step back, realizing Magnus was leaning just inches away from him. His heartbeat seemed to triple as he heard the man's amazing laugh. "Don't do that."

"What? Greet you?" Magnus asked, his eye flickering with the same amusement they seemed to always hold. He was wearing his slitted contacts (which Alec was convinced they were) with his typical eyeliner, but just a hint of purple eye shadow this time. His black hair wasn't spiked this time, but let down and Alec resisted the urge to see if it was as soft as it looked.

He was in a tux. A black tux with a purple tie. He would always be able to out dress Alec, he just had to accept that.

Except Alec couldn't say anything. He was speechless, because, yes, any man looked amazing in a tux, but Magnus… Magnus made the _tux_ look good. All other thoughts vanished, including the one that told him Magnus was an hour early, too. Deciding it was better to say something than looking like a fish, Alec spoke. Except it was definitely not what he expected to come out of his mouth.

"Is this a date?"

Magnus seemed slightly taken aback, blinking a few times and those few seconds before he responded, Alec was cursing at himself. He had messed it up. Now Magnus wouldn't even hire him anymore and he'd be back to painting shoes to pay rent.

"Do you _want_ it to be a date?" Magnus finally asked, surprising Alec.

"Uh." What a great way to start. "I mean, yes, I think," Alec said uncertainly, finding the ground suddenly very interesting.

"You think? That doesn't sound very sure," Magnus said, and Alec peeked a look to see the same amusement clear on the man's face. Was he just playing a game? Or was Magnus pitying him?

Alec swallowed. "I've never," he paused, glancing away, not sure if he should continue. He had gotten this far, he might as well mess it up in one swoop than put it off any longer. "I've never dated anyone. I have literally never gone on a date because I was in the closet so long. My parents don't even know. I—" He stopped as he saw Magnus raised his hand, his expression soft.

"This is date two, Alexander."

His heart skipped a beat. No one said his full name like that, and that alone made him feel bothered—no, not bothered. Good.

Then there was the fact he said date two.

Then Alec's mouth opened again. "I've never even kissed anyone," he said, feeling he had to tell Magnus this. It might take him out of the running, but he knew how experienced Magnus was. Hell, everyone knew how experienced Magnus was.

Yet the man just smiled at him. "Come on," Magnus said, dangling some keys from his hand. "Let's go inside."

Alex nodded dumbly as he followed the slightly taller man as he let them inside the gallery.

It was completely dark and slightly ominous before Magnus switched on the lights, but when he did, the room wasn't the only thing that lit up. Alec's eyes went wide and he suddenly felt like a kid in a candy store when he wanted to run to the first painting he saw. He took a step forward, then glanced at Magnus, silently asking if he could go. When Magnus nodded, he made sure to not actually run as he approached the first of many famous works.

Magnus smiled as he watched Alec. He listened as Alec rattled off all the facts he knew about each piece, which was impressive, even for Magnus's standards. He was truly so young looking, with so much energy that was bottled in, all Magnus wanted to do was set it free and let Alec relax. Magnus wasn't able to. He knew the world was cruel and tainted, and it exhausted him. As he watched Alec trace each piece with his knowledgeable eyes, he couldn't help but want to protect the ignorance in him. Yet, he had to admit to himself, he could tell there was something Alec was hiding, something that gave him a hint of insight into reality, but that would be brought up another day.

He followed Alec, glancing at the paintings he was so familiar with, but mostly keeping his eyes on the raven haired man. Alec had dressed up, and Magnus could actually see where a tag had been hastily ripped off the collar of the shirt. Alec had gotten knew clothes just for this date before he even knew it _was_ a date.

They were in front of _The Abduction of Ganymede_ much too soon. Magnus was surprised when Alec turned to him suddenly, his face flushed slightly but his expression was determined as their eyes met.

"Am I Ganymede?"

Magnus lowered his eyes in thought. The answer was obvious to him, but he wasn't sure how Alec was truly playing into this. He had his fair share of lovers, but he didn't want someone who just wanted to be swept away for a night, or nights. He was actually very serious about his relationships. "Do you want to be?" he asked slowly, hesitantly.

Alec paused for a moment, thinking of the implications. On one hand, he wanted to be swept away by Zeus—Magnus—and just be his, but it was much deeper than that. His virginity never mattered to him, but he didn't want to just get Magnus in bed and have nothing more. He wanted to see if they could be emotionally compatible. "Yes," he eventually said, before quickly shaking his head. "I mean, no. What I mean is… Ganymede wasn't Zeus's… boyfriend." He said the word. Was it bad to even mention that on date two? It wasn't like Alec expected them to have an exclusive relationship right away, but it was his overall goal and, yet again, he wanted that to be mentioned in case it put him out of the running. "If this goes anywhere, and I don't completely embarrass myself, I want to be…" Then, suddenly, he couldn't say it again. It was easy. Boyfriend. Two syllables. Yet he couldn't do it.

Then he felt his chin lifted up, not realizing his eyes had drifted back to the floor. He eyes met golden-green ones and tried to hide his sharp intake of breath.

"I believe that you are definitely more boyfriend material than Ganymede," Magnus said and, before Alec could react lips were pressed against his.

It was soft at first, as if Magnus was making sure it was okay, but there was absolutely no complaints coming from the younger man. Alec felt Magnus's hands at his waist, pulling his hips closer to his own, making him gasp. Magnus used this opportunity to deepen the kiss, giving just a hint of what his tongue could do before he pulled back reluctantly, wanting nothing more than to continue the kiss. He could see than Alec was more dazed than anything, his eyes fluttering open. He didn't want to push him away by being too forceful, but Alec's words had brought up a possessiveness Magnus didn't know he even had.

"Was that okay for your first kiss?" Magnus said, smirking cockily as he tried to hide how flustered he was. It didn't seem to be a problem, seeing how Alec still seemed to be processing what happened.

Then, Alec surprised him, yet again.

Alec grabbed Magnus's jacket with both hands and pulled their lips back together, not caring that their teeth hit, or that it was sloppy and inexperienced. He just didn't want the feeling he got to ever go away.

Magnus sure didn't mind.

**A/N: I cut off the first date, I know, but it felt like just a bunch of chitchat THEY would enjoy, but not the readers. If you really want to read it, just let me know and I can type it up, but I feel like I made up for it with their second date and, you know, their kiss. **

**If you haven't read it, you should read the snippet Kissed, which is Magnus and Alec's first kiss by Cassandra Clare. It seemed so extremely perfect for them that I had to mimic it a bit. This world's Alec IS a bit shyer than the Shadowhunter Alec, though. Tends to happen when you don't have to face demons on an almost daily basis, I figure, but he's still a Lightwood, and, by nature, blunt. So… that was the result.**

**ANYway. I do plan to try and update once a week, but I can't always guarantee it… I would be motivated by, say, a deadline. What day of the week would be best for me to update for y'all? Also, the more reviews, the more I WANT to write, so you could get chapters early, depending. Not to be a review whore, but… yeah, no. I'm a review whore. I love them. They just make me feel so fuzzy inside, and I'm sure many of you can relate.**

**Long AN, I know, but I felt it was important. I hope you enjoyed it! Now I'm off to work. **

**Thank y'all again for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!**

**~Annie**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: I wanna start by thanking Cue Evil Laughter Muhahaha for pointing out I meant HERA instead of Helen when talking about Zeus's wife. I can't believe I did that, seeing how Helen's the sister of my favorite mythological figure (guess who it is and I will give you a hug through the internet). Anyway, I do want to say feel FREE to correct things like that. I actually write all the mythology parts from memory and sometimes I just don't think, apparently. **

**Now to thank everyone else! I truly appreciate each and every comment! Y'all keep me writing, and even if this is way latter than I originally planned (I got called into work early almost every single day, and then had scene design work any other time. And then Props master work the OTHER times… ) I worked on this when I could. It starts off right where the last chapter ended because I really felt like there was more to that scene and I felt like writing it. Also, I had part of this written, then rewrote it, then wrote so much I had to split it up, to then realize I had to switch around scenes and now… here's this. Yeah.**

**WARNING: Somewhat crappy chapter…**

**Disclaimer: So this time I tried to steal MAGNUS. … I didn't realize exactly how cruel Alec can be with a seraph blade. *shivers***

Chapter 3

Alec had imagined what his first kiss would be like. He drew ideas from movies and the thousands of books be had read, yet kissing Magnus was so different. When Magnus's lips had pressed against his, no fireworks went off. There were no sparks or flashing signs in his head, telling him _this is the one_.

Yet he wanted to do it again.

So, without really thinking, he did just that. Yet now, when he let go of Magnus's jacket, he had absolutely no clue what to do next.

"So you're completely positive you've never kissed anyone before?"

Alec snapped to attention as Magnus spoke, taking a moment to process the words before he shook his head slowly. "None before… that."

Magnus smiled, though it didn't have the amusement it usually had. It was very tender, something Alec was grateful for. "I wouldn't have known," he said softly. Alec flushed, his eyes widening at the compliment, and he suddenly wished he could hide, or maybe have a grand exit were he actually looked cool. Instead, his attention was directed down in surprise as he felt Magnus's long fingers hook around his belt loops and yanked him forward so they were flesh against each other. Magnus's nose was touching his and Alec could just stare into the memorizing orbs in front of him. The golden-green eyes seemed to change then. They were… conflicted and guarded. Then he felt Magnus's breath against his own lips as he spoke. "You have no idea what you do to me, Alexander."

Yeah, there was no possible way Alec could form a response to that. He didn't even try. He just stayed where he was, all too painfully aware of the full-body contact they were sharing, and he was sure Magnus could tell that he certainly did a lot of things to Alec, too.

Then Magnus's fingers slipped out of the loops as he leaned away, his lips pressed firmly together, and Alec instinctively took a step towards him, not wanting the contact to be lost.

"Magnus," he breathed out. Where was this coming from? He had no clue what he was doing, but he knew he wanted more, whatever _more_ was.

Magnus was wishing the logical part of his mind would _shut up._ It was telling him how this couldn't possibly work out. He was a Lightwood. An artist. A virgin at that. He wasn't one to take such risks. Ragnor's death was fresh in his mind, would he be able to take getting involved with someone and then handle losing them? Because, surely, with who Alec was, that would be the result of this. If Alec found out who he was…

"Alec," he said carefully. "Alexander," he corrected, loving how the blue in Alec's eyes seemed to get darker at his name. Magnus melted at the gaze. "We should look at the painting instead of giving the securities guards a show, don't you think?" he said, giving a sly smile as he watch Alec's face flush, his eyes glancing around to find the mentioned onlookers. "Cameras, Darling."

Alec looked back to him. "Oh. Uh, yes," he said, taking a step back from Magnus and clearing his throat. He quickly turned to the painting, but Magnus could see red spreading on the back of his neck and he smirked in satisfaction. However, Alec's voice was steady when he spoke. "The textbooks were right. Oil on canvas, the baroque styling is outstanding and it looks around…three, three and a half, centuries old." He turned his blue eyes towards Magnus, flushing as he noticed the intense gaze on him. "I-it, er. It seems to have been… treated…" he tried to continue before he blinked. "Did I get something wrong?"

"Hm?" Magnus asked, perking up from out of his daydreaming. He had never been so distracted from just someone _talking_ before. "Oh, no, Dear. You're perfect. You said it's been treated?"

The artist hesitated before nodding. "Yes. I think I know exactly what kind, too." Alec glanced at the piece before he looked at Magnus. "Did you pick this piece because of me? Ganymede? Or is there a reason you want such a replica made?" he asked.

Magnus blinked at him. "Straightforward, aren't we?" Alec said nothing. At that moment, Magnus wanted nothing more than to tell the truth. He couldn't lie to the man in front of him. He took a deep breath, then hesitated. "I want it personally, for you, to challenge you—to see your potential," he said finally, which was the truth. It was the first painting he thought of when he first, literally, ran into Alec. It was a trial painting, to see Alec's skills at work before attempting anything to trade for the original pieces his clients actually wanted.

That is, if he could keep Alec around for that long. He wasn't exactly sure he could bring such innocence into his line of work.

"Oh. Well, I hope I won't disappoint you," Alec said awkwardly, not used to being told such things.

"Well you certainly haven't been one so far," Magnus said, standing in front of Alec before looping his fingers back in the other's belt loops. Alec's eyes seemed to darken into sapphires at their proximity, a fact Magnus took note of. "How about we finish up so we can get out of here, hm? Do you need to take pictures?"

"No," Alec said. His breath seemed labored and his eyes kept darting down to Magnus's lips, lips he had just felt yet he could barely remember them. He took a breath to try and clear his fogging brain. "I… photographic memory," he said distractedly, leaning forward an inch, but not wanting to close the distance again. His self-conscious was reminding him that Magnus had only initiated their first kiss, and with Alec's inexperience, who knew if he really wanted to do it again.

Magnus chuckled. "You just keep impressing me," he whispered, slipping his hands into Alec's back pockets before he closed the distance between them.

This time seemed different. Magnus seemed to know _exactly_ how self-conscious Alec was and was able take all of it and make it completely disappear, replacing it equally with a feeling alec couldn't really describe. Magnus knew what he was doing and he took this opportunity to fully explore Alec, parting the other's lips with his own. He was going to explore the artist's chest as well but realized Alec was melting into the kiss and instead wrapped his arms around Alec's waist to hold him as he felt the other's knees start to give out.

Alec tried to pull away at this, embarrassed about how obvious Magnus's kiss was having on him, but Magnus held him tightly.

Magnus smirked, his lips glistening. "Don't think you can get away now," Magnus said huskily before he leaned down to kiss Alec's neck, who instantly threated his hands in the other's hair, pulling him closer.

Neither really seemed to mind giving the guards a show anymore.

* * *

It wasn't more than a block away from where Magnus had parted with Alec that he was stopped.

"Camille," he growled out, the woman having moved in front of him.

"Magnus, are we not friends?" She asked, a mock hurt expression on her face, her accent leaking into every word. "Yet to use such a tone with me. Me, the woman who is willing to help you."

Magnus narrowed his eyes, the golden orbs flashing with anger. "Tell me one good reason why I can trust you, Camille Belcourt."

"I have a suspect for Fell's killer."

All of the anger drained from Magnus at the mention of his deceased friend. "What?" he asked quickly, his shoulders lowering from where they had been tensed previously.

Camille took a step forward, her heels clicking on the sidewalk. "Don't tell me you've completely forgotten about him now that you've found that new boy," she said, raising a delicate eyebrow. "I will admit he's easy on the eyes, but to forget Ragnor?"

"Don't bring Alec into this," Magnus said calmly, even though his mind was swirling with anger and fear. "I could never forget Ragnor, but you know I had to find a new partner."

"Partner," Camille repeated, a smile stretching on the edges of her lips. "What a good choice in words, Bane." When Magnus gave her no response, she tilted her head, her blonde curls draping over one shoulder as she pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. "I would have spoken up sooner if I thought you would get involved with the son of the suspect."

Magnus narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Robert Lightwood, the FBI agent?" Camille said, knowing Magnus knew _exactly_ who he was. "He's the Downworlder's number one suspect for Ragnor's death." She smiled at the shocked expression that fitted his features. "How does it feel to now be dating the son of your best friend's killer?"

* * *

Alec had never jumped into a shower so quickly in his life. The freezing water was a shock to his heated body, but he braced it, feeling he had no choice in the matter. His body felt like it was on fire, his skin tingling wherever Magnus had touched him. They had parted soon after their kiss, parting at the front of the museum, though Alec had been fairly disoriented. He hadn't been fully cognitive again until he was in front of his apartment complex.

Thirty minutes and all the cold water of New York later, Alec walked into his living room in just his jeans, drying off his hair with a towel. He felt more energized than he had been for a while and, more than anything, he felt _inspired_. He walked over to his easel and stared at the blank canvas before him. He hadn't been lying when he had said he had a photographic memory. As he looked at the canvas he could see Ganymede appear on the canvas, wrapped in the hold of an eagle. He could see every brush stroke, every hue and tint, every lump of paint. This wasn't going to be the copy he gave Magnus, he needed the correct canvas for that, but he wanted to—no, _needed_ to practice. It couldn't be anything less than perfect, and that meant multiple drafts. That also meant he had to start now, especially when he had some plans for tomorrow. He would stop in a few hours to get _some_ sleep, but that wasn't his priority.

Fetching all the materials he needed, Alec paused as he held up his container of turpentine. He always wondered if it was what caused artists to go crazy with the fumes it gave off, yet it was what made so many techniques possible. He poured some into one of his three jars, filling the others with other solutions before he picked up his brush, thinned out an orchard yellow to sketch with, and he began.

Sometime later, he wasn't exactly sure how long, he felt his phone start to go off. He quickly put his brush down, wiping his hands on his jeans to clear them of paint before picking up his phone. He wondered who would be calling so late—then he saw "Izzy" on the screen along with the time. Seven-eleven. In the morning. The sun had already risen and he hadn't even noticed. He put the phone to his ear. "Hey Izzy," he said casually, though he was starting to feel a slight fatigue now that he wasn't solely focused on the painting. He had gotten a complete base down but he had to take his time with the strokes to get them perfect. He could do that after a nap, though. "What's up?"

"You not calling me last night!" Isabelle snapped impatiently, and Alec could almost imagine her tapping her foot, though he knew she wasn't actually upset, just eager. There was no other reason she would call so early. He tried to think of why he was supposed to call her, and then paused when he remembered _exactly_ what had happened last night. His cheeks flared at the memory, glad that no one could see.

"Oh," he said simply, trying to seem calm about it. "Nothing, er. Nothing much happened," he said, cursing his inability to say a straight, confidence sentence. He had always been horrible at lying. "It was late when I got back so I didn't want to wake you," he finished, not wanting to tell her he hadn't been thinking straight enough to know where he w_as_, let alone remember to call her.

He heard Isabelle snort. "Right. This, my dear brother, is more important than sleep." He could relate to that. "So…?"

"So what?" Alec said, trying to procrastinate the inevitable.

"So how'd it go?! I want details. Did you ask if it was a date?" his sister asked, her voice lowering at the last question. He wondered if she was at their parent's house still.

Gaining all his courage, Alec nodded. Then he remembered she couldn't see him. "Yes," he said quickly. "I mean—yes, I asked. And he said it was date two. Happy?"

"_Finally_," Isabelle breathed out. "I thought I was going to have to threaten to burn his wardrobe if he said anything different." Alec looked at the phone in confusion before putting it back to his ear. How Isabelle ever thought she could threaten Magnus Bane was a mystery. "So what did you do?"

"We went to the museum I mentioned," Alec said, shrugging as if that would help his voice sound casual. It didn't. His voice was shaking slightly as the memories played on repeat in his head. The fact Magnus had a key, that they had seen such famous art work, the specific one he had to copy, and then the kiss. And the second one. And the third, which honestly could be counted more as a thousand than just one, but Alec was forever going to keep that thought to himself. He struggled to find exactly what to tell his sister. "And… he showed me the original to the painting I'm doing."

"You told him you have photographic memory, right?"

Why that was really important, Alec didn't know. "Yes?" he said hesitantly, his mind jumping to the exact moment _when_ he said it, using it as an excuse so he could focus fully on everything _Magnus_ instead of the painting.

"Good. Now tell me _everything._"

So he did. Well, not everything. Isabelle did not need to know everything, but he told her about their conversation outside the museum, and how incredible the exhibit was, and how they stopped in front of _The Abduction of Ganymede_… "He kissed me," Alec blurting, not being able to contain his excitement, even if he tried to seem disinterested. "I mean, we kissed."

He could almost feel Isabelle's smile. "You really like him, don't you?"

"I hardly know him. He's my boss now, Iz," Alec said warily. The truth was, he _did_ like Magnus already. There was no denying it. He just wanted to learn more and more about him, but he was nervous. It was his first maybe relationship and he didn't want to mess it up, yet he could think of so many excuses to get out of it. He was a grown man now without any experience. The only feelings that lasted were the ones for Jace, and his best friend hadn't even crossed his mind in Magnus's presense.

"He's hardly your _boss_. Don't think too much about it and just enjoy it, alright?" Isabelle commanded,

"Alright," Alec agreed warily.

"So was he a good kisser?"

"_Definitely_," he said and then blushed as he realized he had actually said that out loud. "I mean, I don't exactly have anything to compare it to."

He could hear his sister laughing softly. "I'm happy for you, Alec. Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't end up taking you home with his record."

"Izzy!" Alec snapped, wanting nothing more than to go hide. Why did his sister always want to embarrass him? He groaned. Then he paused, thinking about the night. It was true. They had a heated kiss, yes, but Magnus never once hinted towards anything more. That was completely different from his usual behavior, according to the media. So why hadn't he tried anything with Alec? Yet what frightened Alec the most is that he probably wouldn't have protested. He had a lump in his throat that he tried to swallow down. "He didn't." Whatever that meant.

"You're different, then," Isabelle said. He heard some noises in the background, some voices. "Sorry, Alec. Parents are up, but know that's a _good_ thing. When are you having your next meeting?"

Alec assumed she was speaking in a code with how she said 'meeting' and he sighed. "I don't know. I mean, I'll have the painting for him by next week but we don't have anything else planned."

"Then text him and ask. Maybe the two of you can meet up for coffee or lunch today." She paused and Alec could hear her greeting their parents before she continued. "I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay, but first—isn't there a… three day rules or something like that?" Alec asked quickly, only knowing the rule from movies Isabelle had forced him to watch. He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the majority of them. She had good taste.

Isabelle laughed softly. "Welcome to reality, brother dearest. Don't torture yourself. Enjoy life while you can. Don't waste a second of it, let alone three days."

"I'm meeting up with Jace today but I'll see what I can do, I guess," Alec muttered, thinking through his schedule. Being an artist, if a struggling one, had its' benefits, one being a very flexible schedule.

"Just ask when he's available and don't worry over it," Isabelle said reassuringly. "I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"Alright. Bye, Izzy," Alec said, calmed by her words but also nervous that she couldn't be there every step like he wanted to.

"Bye Alec," she said before hanging up.

Alec looked at his phone, flipping through his contacts. He paused at Magnus's number, his contacts being in order by last name. Should he send anything now? It was early still and he did need to meet up with Jace so he decided it could wait. If he sent something _so_ soon he probably would seem desperate, no matter what his sister said.

He took a last look at his painting before raising his phone and snapping a picture of it. Talking about work was always a good conversation starter, and an even better reason to send Magnus a text. He saved the picture to send later and then sent a quick text to Jace to let him know he was getting ready to leave. He grabbed a shirt to slip on, not bothering to change out of his paint-covered jeans before grabbing a duffle bag, a bow sticking out one end before he headed out the door.

* * *

Magnus's phone went off around one in the afternoon. He hesitated checking it at first, flipping over an envelope in his hands a few times to preoccupy his hands. He had a lot to think about and he didn't want anyone to interrupt that.

Alec Gideon Lightwood was already doing a fine job with that and he wasn't even around. He was just always fitting into the man's thoughts, jumbling them.

Could the father of such an innocent man be Ragnor's killer? He didn't know, but he had given up trying to blame Alec for it. In fact, slowly, ever so slowly, Alec was pushing his thoughts into a place he hadn't dared remembered before.

He felt a soft weight on his lap, raising the envelope to see his small white and gray tabby cat sitting on his lap, looking expectant.

"Well hello there, Chairman Meow," Magnus said, giving the cat a few pats on his head. The cat only pawed at the envelope in response, Magnus tilting it just out of reach. He looked down at the cat. "I met someone, you know."

Chairman Meow did not respond, seeing how cats could not actually talk back, even if Magnus wished they could. Magnus sighed, folding open the letter than was inside the envelope.

"The Mortal Instruments…" he whispered, rubbing the Chairman's ears, much to the cat's delight. "Maybe I can search for them now."

His phone went off again as a reminder he had an unread text. He reached for it, setting the letter down beside him as he checked it. It was a picture. Specifically, it was a picture from Alec. He opened it.

**It's not done yet, but this is the first draft** the text read, and Magnus's eyes widened as he stared at the picture. He could tell the time that had already been put into the painting and already wished that he could see it in person, to see exactly how such a creation came to be. And had Alec mentioned that it was only the first draft?

His eyes shifted to his cat. "He's good," he commented, tilting his head curiously. "Very good. He is the perfect partner for the High Warlock of Brooklyn," he commented, referring to his criminal name he had made for himself. Then he realized his words and shook his head. He picked up Chairman Meow, holding him so he could nuzzle the cat's fur. "But what if I want him to be the partner of Magnus Bane?"

The cat let out a small mewl before Magnus put him down, petting him softly with his long fingers before picking up his phone and sending a quick text back.

**When are you free, Darling? I think it's time for date three.**

* * *

**A/N: So I have written about three different scenes that WERE going to be in the chapter, and then I cut them and am going to use parts later on. This chapter was so frustrating, but I have parts for next chapter already written or at least planned out, so hopefully I actually will have that out soon.**

**More mythology will come up, so look forward to that! More secrets and things that will (hopefully) blow your mind later on!**

**Also, I obviously suck at summaries, so if y'all want to try and help me come up with a better one, I'm ALL ears.**

**I'm going to try and update on Mondays, but I work 11 hours on Sunday and Monday is casual chaos with how my boss calls me in, but I WILL try. In fact, I'm aiming for two chapters for this next Monday to try and make up for the lack of updating. Maybe What I DO know is that y'all will be awesome and review? :D? I'm hyper self-conscious about disappointing y'all, since you gave me such wonderful reviews before and then this chapter doesn't feel as wonderful. But I wasn't going to add the last scene and I did anyway, just to make this longer for you guys!**

**And can I just mention Alec painting shirtless? Okay, I'm done.**

**I love all of y'all dearly!**

**~Annie**


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